The Anarchist Cookbook [Paperback]

William Powell (Author), Peter Bergman (Introduction)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 1989

The Anarchist Cookbook will shock, it will disturb, it will provoke. It places in historical perspective an era when "Turn on, Burn down, Blow up" are revolutionary slogans of the day. Says the author" "This book... is not written for the members of fringe political groups, such as the Weatherman, or The Minutemen. Those radical groups don't need this book. They already know everything that's in here. If the real people of America, the silent majority, are going to survive, they must educate themselves. That is the purpose of this book." In what the author considers a survival guide, there is explicit information on the uses and effects of drugs, ranging from pot to heroin to peanuts. There i detailed advice concerning electronics, sabotage, and surveillance, with data on everything from bugs to scramblers. There is a comprehensive chapter on natural, non-lethal, and lethal weapons, running the gamut from cattle prods to submachine guns to bows and arrows. The section on explosives and booby traps ranges from TNT to whistle traps. One hundred and eleven drawings supplement the recipes. "This book is for anarchists," says William Powell, "Those who feel able to discipline themselves on all the subjects from drugs, to weapons, to explosives) that are currently illegal in this country." Techniques, disciplines, precautions, and warnings pervade what may be the most disquieting "how-to" book of contemporary times.

Editorial Reviews

From the Author

I have recently been made aware of several websites that focus on The Anarchist Cookbook. As the author of the original publication some 30 plus years ago, it is appropriate for me to comment.

The Anarchist Cookbook was written during 1968 and part of 1969 soon after I graduated from high school. At the time, I was 19 years old and the Vietnam War and the so-called "counter culture movement" were at their height. I was involved in the anti-war movement and attended numerous peace rallies and demonstrations. The book, in many respects, was a misguided product of my adolescent anger at the prospect of being drafted and sent to Vietnam to fight in a war that I did not believe in.

I conducted the research for the manuscript on my own, primarily at the New York City Public Library. Most of the contents were gleaned from Military and Special Forces Manuals. I was not member of any radical group of either a left or right wing persuasion.

I submitted the manuscript directly to a number of publishers without the help or advice of an agent. Ultimately, it was accepted by Lyle Stuart Inc. and was published verbatim - without editing - in early 1970. Contrary to what is the normal custom, the copyright for the book was taken out in the name of the publisher rather than the author. I did not appreciate the significance of this at the time and would only come to understand it some years later when I requested that the book be taken out of print.

The central idea to the book was that violence is an acceptable means to bring about political change. I no longer agree with this.

Apparently in recent years, The Anarchist Cookbook has seen a number of 'copy cat' type publications, some with remarkably similar titles (Anarchist Cookbook II, III etc). I am not familiar with these publications and cannot comment upon them. I can say that the original Anarchist Cookbook has not been revised or updated in any way by me since it was first published.

During the years that followed its publication, I went to university, married, became a father and a teacher of adolescents. These developments had a profound moral and spiritual effect on me. I found that I no longer agreed with what I had written earlier and I was becoming increasingly uncomfortable with the ideas that I had put my name to. In 1976 I became a confirmed Anglican Christian and shortly thereafter I wrote to Lyle Stuart Inc. explaining that I no longer held the views that were expressed in the book and requested that The Anarchist Cookbook be taken out of print. The response from the publisher was that the copyright was in his name and therefore such a decision was his to make - not the author's. In the early 1980's, the rights for the book were sold to another publisher. I have had no contact with that publisher (other than to request that the book be taken out of print) and I receive no royalties.

Unfortunately, the book continues to be in print and with the advent of the Internet several websites dealing with it have emerged. I want to state categorically that I am not in agreement with the contents of The Anarchist Cookbook and I would be very pleased (and relieved) to see its publication discontinued. I consider it to be a misguided and potentially dangerous publication which should be taken out of print.

William Powell

Product Details

• Paperback: 160 pages
• Publisher: Barricade Books (September 1989)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0962303208
• ISBN-13: 978-0962303203
• Product Dimensions: 10.9 x 8.4 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 15.2 ounces
• Shipping: Currently, item can be shipped only within the U.S.
• Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (244 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #889,198 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

224 of 234 people found the following review helpful

1.0 out of 5 stars Garbage Re-Print November 3, 2010

By Brutus Maximus

Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase

I am an avid collector of controversial books both for their historical and entertainment value. Don't waste your money on The Anarchist Cookbooks sold here on Amazon. While the picture(s) may show an original one, these are actually re-prints from 2002 and a lot of the original content has been removed or edited. I am very disappointed in the misleading sales tactic.

106 of 116 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Hello Old Friend! August 25, 2001

By BearMaster

Format:Paperback

My first exposure to this counter-culture classic was in the most unexpected of settings, my college ROTC classroom. The book written in protest of the Viet-Nam War was being used by a Green Beret veterain of that same war to train us who might be leading troops in, yes, that same war. The irony speaks for itself. I understand that William Powell no longer agrees with what he wrote as a young man, and symphathise with the plight of an artist who has lost control of his work. However, I am glad (and somewhat suprised) that this is still available. Not only is it an important sociological piece of the period, but it is filled with information that could be useful if (god forbid) things ever hit the fan. That same ROTC instructor told me time and again, "Better to have it and not need it than need it and not have it," so this book gets a space on my shelf just in case. It's the best book I hope you'll never need.

113 of 126 people found the following review helpful

3.0 out of 5 stars Interesting, but unsafe December 12, 2003

By Jerald R Lovell

Format:Paperback

First published in the turbulent '60's, this book has attained a sort of cult status for that time. It reflects many of the mores and problems of that generation of young people, and is worth it for a read for that, if for no other reason.

So far as bomb-making and all of that, the book is technically good, but the methodology involving use of nitrogen compounds, particularly red, fuming nitric acid and cotton, to make guncotton, is fundamentally ununsound and unsafe. You could blow a hand off or worse very easily, following Powell's directions. I think "The Monkeywrench Gang" and others of its genre are more in tune with today's eco-warrior desires. Also, the book never mentions the superiority of Oxydol and its green beads, as a binding agent for homemade napalm. For shame.

Even with these quibbles, the book is entertaining, and offers a clear glimpse into the mentality of a now-settled generation.